1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to security tags and, more particularly, to a system for entering information associated with tagged items into a database.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known to combine a barcode reader and a tag reader in a security tag system. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,382,784, 6,371,375, 6,415,978, 7,320,432 and 7,353,997 teach such combination devices. These combination devices can be used for purposes such as identifying and separating items when items having barcodes and items having tags have been intermingled. They can also be used for triggering a tag read when a valid barcode detection indicates the presence of an attached item.
It is also known to use combination barcode readers and tag readers in systems including tags that are provided with memory suitable for programming. In this art, information associated with items can be read from a barcode, and programmed into the memory within the tags by the combination devices. It is also known to modify the data read from the barcode in a predetermined manner prior to programming it into the tags. Alternately, the information to be programmed into a tag, or modified and then programmed into the tag, can be obtained from a database in response to reading the identity of the item from the barcode. Examples of such combination devices for programming the memories of security tags according to information encoded in barcodes and/or databases include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,056,199, 6,318,631, 6,830,181 and 7,066,667.
More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 7,551,087 issued to McAllister, discloses an integrated hand held device that combines an optical barcode reader and an RFID transponder commissioning device. The hand held device scans the barcode and receives data from the barcode. The received data can then be correlated with previously known information stored in a database.
The hand held device in the McAllister system can communicate with the database wirelessly, or the database can be downloaded and stored in the hand held device. If the received data correlates with information in the database, it is validated. When the information is validated it is written into a corresponding RFID transponder, which is thereby commissioned. The commissioning of the transponder can be recorded in the database.
U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2004/0074964, filed by Falkenrich-Wesche on Oct. 22, 2002, discloses writing into tags as tagged items proceed through a process in order to follow the items through the process. Information regarding each operation performed on the item during the process is stored in the tag and in a database.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,501,948, issued to Roemerman, and having a priority date of Sep. 29, 2004, discloses an RFID system including a database having prior knowledge of tagged objects. The Roemerman system obtains additional information about the objects when the tags are read. For example, the system can obtain information regarding the location of the object, or information regarding the presence of other tagged items in the vicinity of the object. The additional information can be stored in the database. Histories of the tagged object are built based on the knowledge in the database. The histories built in the database can include histories of the locations and movements of the objects, and histories of the relationships between the objects.
In addition to the references disclosing the foregoing combination devices, several references disclose the use of RF signatures of objects for detecting the presence of the objects. U.S. Pat. No. 7,019,650, issued to Volpi, teaches detecting the presence of a metal object using a metal sensing subsystem to provide a signature signal representative of the object. The signature signal is filtered, processed and recognized when present. U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2009/0160605 discloses distinguishing the RFID signatures of products from the RFID signatures of unwanted items. U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2007/0159400 teaches providing credit cards with unique electromagnetic fingerprints, and authenticating the credit cards in response to detecting their fingerprints.
All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.